New 'Animated Series' Trading Cards Released

Rittenhouse Archives has created a new set of trading cards to commemorate Star Trek: The Animated Series, according to Startrek.com.

This is the first full set of trading cards exclusively devoted to The Animated Series, covering all 22 episodes, which aired from 1973-4 after the 1969 cancellation of the original television series.

The Saturday morning cartoon is memorialized in a 198-card set - nine cards per episode - plus a separate series of chase cards, including a James Doohan (Montgomery Scott) tribute card celebrating the many different characters whom Doohan voiced on the show and a lenticular Captain Kirk "in motion" card. The rarest cards will be Star Trek Micro-Cels, authentic pieces of actual film from the series, of which no two will be identical. Two of these cards will be included in each 40-pack box.

There will be one autograph card per box featuring portraits and original signatures by most of the main cast. The animated series crew included two added aliens, Arex and M'Ress, voiced by Star Trek regulars Doohan and Majel Barrett (Nurse Chapel). However, there will be no Ensign Chekov card, as the character played by Walter Koenig did not appear in the Animated Series.

Each box will also include one of five CD-ROMS featuring wallpapers, screen savers and an interview with writer D.C. Fontana that will not be available elsewhere. The cards are printed on 20-point stock with a glossy coating.

The Complete Star Trek: Animated Adventures Trading Cards are available from Scifihobby.com. Further information may be found here.